Finally a Happy Ending
by silentfyre
Summary: Set a few years after the end of the war, with a few flashbacks. Sweet Marcus and Anya story.
1. Chapter 1

**Azura, 19 years after emergence day**

The planet of Sera had come a surprisingly long way since the end of the locust war. It was the closest they'd had to peace in over 100 years. The planet was still recovering and rebuilding, but the population was slowly going up. A lot of Sera had decent housing and food. They were still working on fuel and power, but had done pretty well using natural resources like solar energy and wind power. The planets future was staring to look pretty good. There was still a lot of bitterness between members and ex members of the Cog, and the stranded. A lot of them were not stranded any more, but old grudges are not always forgotten. There was still a lot of gangs that caused a lot of trouble, but no war to speak of.

Marcus and Anya now lived together in one of the first apartments built here on Azura. They moved in about a year ago, and it was the closest place that felt like home in years. The island had done pretty well. There were various shops for basics like food and clothing, anyone who had a trade before the war, opened up a business, sometimes in their own home. Paper currency wasn't exactly in circulation yet but people were starting to use it, in the form of I owe you's. Most people still traded things, like food for clothing. Everyone played their part. They'd even opened up a school. There were plenty of ex stranded that used to be school teachers or professors. Anya volunteered teaching the younger children. Cole also helped out the kids teaching them thrashball.

Bernie and Hoffman had stayed at Anvil Gate. The community was quite similar there. Sam had decided to move there as it was her home. It didn't take long for Baird to join her. After the war, their feeling for each other came to the surface pretty quickly. He was doing fine, fixing, pretty much anything for anyone who needed it. That paid for the small house they lived in that Baird helped to build. They would occasionally visit Azura to see their friends. Baird missed Cole, but wanted to stay at Anvil Gate with Sam.

Back on Azura, one ex stranded family had decided to open a small restaurant. They had been very successful as it was the first on to open here. Marcus and Anya had decided to dine here tonight.

They didn't often go out to eat so they wanted to make the most of the evening. Anya couldn't believe she was sitting, eating in a restaurant. During the war, this was a luxury she never thought she'd have again. She smiled as she looked across the table at Marcus. After all these years they were still together. She never thought the day would come when they'd actually be living together.

Marcus noticed Anya smiling at him.

"Thank you for giving me such a lovely evening" She said.

"Evenings not over yet" He replied with slight smirk.

After their date, Marcus suggested they go for a walk along the beach. It had been a lovely evening, but Anya noticed he seemed a bit distracted and preoccupied tonight. Maybe even a little nervous. Little did she know that it was due to the small box in his jacket pocket.

**18 months ago**

Marcus was going through the process of sorting through the remains of his fathers belongings.

It was a hard thing to do, going through a loved ones belongings after they had died. There wasn't much personal stuff, mainly work and research. That's why he was here in the first place after all. After about 4 hours of sorting through various research, scientific data and journals, he decided to sit down and take a break. After a few minutes, he spotted a small box up on a higher shelf, he hadn't noticed before. He got back up and reached up to get it. The box had a small padlock on it and was locked. It was only a flimsy padlock so cutting it open wouldn't be a problem. He grabbed some small wire cutters to open it, but suddenly felt guilty. The box was locked for a reason. He had to respect that, even though he was dead. Curiosity got the better of him though. Was there another secret in there he wasn't supposed to know? More about his fathers knowledge about the locust, or a photo of him on a date with the locust queen? He couldn't stand it any longer. He got the lock off, took a deep breath and then opened it. What was inside, wasn't what he expected at all.

There was a handful of old, worn photographs. He looked at them one by one. The first one was a photo of his father and mother on their wedding day. The next was a photo of Adam, looking extremely proud, holding Marcus as a baby. Then one of a young 14 year old Marcus, alongside his best friends Dom and Carlos. Seeing this one almost brought a tear to his eye, as he felt a pang off loss and sadness in his chest. The last photo was a of Marcus and Anya the night he received his Embry star medal. That was a very memorable night for him. Not because of the award he'd received but because that was the night Marcus and Anya's relationship had begun. There was some other stuff in the box, including Adam Fenix's Cog tags and a few medals he'd received himself. There was also a small box in there. He opened it to find a diamond ring. He inspected it closer and saw that it was engraved with the words, 'forever and always' He realised that this had to me his mothers engagement ring. He figured that Adam must've grabbed whatever precious belongings he could, when he attempted to flee the mansion all those years ago. It meant a lot to Marcus that his father saved these belongings. He looked at the ring again, knowing that he should keep hold of it. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it. He certainly didn't want to sell or trade it for anything, it was a precious object that his father saved and he would save as well. There's only one person that he might give it to one day . . . .

**The present**

"Are you ok Marcus, you seem distracted"

" Yeah, I'm fine sorry, just thinking"

Anya didn't always ask what he was thinking about. It had been two years since the end of the war but old wounds never healed. She didn't ask as she didn't want to ruin a perfect evening. She stopped when she realised that Marcus has stopped a few paces back. She turned around to face him. She could usually read him quite well, but she wasn't sure what was on his mind tonight.

He began to speak.

"Anya, did you ever think the war would end"

"I hoped it would, but didn't think it would if that makes sense" She replied.

"Well, when you hoped it would end, how did you imagine your future would be?" he asked

**13 years earlier, 5 years after Emergence day**

It had been a long shift for Anya, but it was nearly over. She couldn't wait to get home an relax for a bit. Not that anyone could relax these days, with half the world destroyed and the locust war raging on and on. At least they were safe here in Jacinto.

"Hey Anya, you finishing soon" Sophie, one of the girls Anya worked with in CIC asked

"Yeah, in about half an hour"

"Me and Steph were going to grab a drink. Wanna come?"

Anya found it almost funny that in a world running out of resources, they still managed to have plenty of alcohol. I suppose people needed it during these dark times.

"I think I'll pass tonight. I'm pretty tired" She replied

"Come on Anya, just for a bit. You should get out more"

"It's ok, I just want to get home. Anyway, there's someone I want to see tonight" Anya said trying not to invite any further questions.  
"Don't tell me your still seeing that Marcus guy"

Anya replied, "I don't see how that's any of your business, but so what if I am?"

"None of my business? You've spoken to me about your relationship before. Well if you can call it a 'relationship"

"What's that supposed to mean" she asked offended by that statement.

"Anya. He's never taken you on a date, he's never spent the whole night with you, probably never even told you he loves you. Why do you continue to see him?"

She sighed and simply replied " Because. . . I love him. I don't expect you to understand. You don't

know him like I do"

"I do understand. We all need someone in this world. What's left of it that is. I just don't think he feels the same way you do"

"Look, I appreciate your concern but . . .

"Anya, I'd like to think that we're friends. I don't want to see you get hurt that's all.

"You won't. But thanks. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine"

When Anya got back to her apartment it was she collapsed onto the sofa. She couldn't help but think about what Sophie had said to her. Was she just wasting her time with Marcus? Everything her friend had said was true. They'd never really seen each other socially out of work or privately. He'd never spent the whole night with her, and she was to afraid to tell him that she loved him because deep down she knew he would never say it back. Maybe it was time to get some answers out of him. She deserved that at least. A knock at the door made her jump. That must be him she thought. 'I'll just ask him what this relationship means to him' she thought to her self. One good thing about Marcus was that he was honest. 'If he can't say anything meaningful to me, then we may as well end things' She got up and answered the door to let him in. Her thoughts of talking things through with him and possibly ending the relationship were pushed out of her mind when she saw him. Marcus gently pulled her close to him, gently brushed the strands of hair out of her face to kiss her.

"Marcus wait, I think we need to talk"

"About what" He asked

She couldn't bring herself to carry on. If they talked things out she may end up alone tonight, instead of spending the evening in his arms.

"Nothing, don't worry" She said as she kissed him. Marcus was a man of few words and didn't waste much time. Anya had forgotten all her worries and doubts now, as they made their way to the bedroom. She even ignored the nagging thought in the back of her head that she would be waking up alone the next morning.

**The present**

"I don't know, never really had time to think about the future" She said, but that wasn't entirely true. She always imagined a life with Marcus. She wouldn't want it any other way

"How about you?" She asked

"Honestly, I thought we'd be fighting the war until we dropped dead" He replied

Anya thought hard about what to say next.

"Are you happy Marcus, now were at some kind of peace, now the wars over and all the fighting has stopped?" She asked.

He didn't answer straight away, he looked out to the sea for a few moments. She didn't think she'd get an answer out of him. Then he finally said

"Yes. I am happy Anya"

She smiled not expecting that kind of answer from him.

"Do you know why I'm happy?" He asked still looking out at the ocean

"Why" she asked

He turned to face her, looking deep into her eyes and replied

"Because of you"

Anya's face lit up when he said those words. He moved a step closer to her and brought his hand up to her cheek.

"Your the only reason I'm still breathing" he said with more feeling and sincerity she'd ever seen from him before.

Marcus had never been one for expressing his deepest feelings which is why the words he had said meant so much to her. She put her arms around him as he pulled her close to him wrapping his arms around her. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening.

Marcus knew he had to do this now before he lost his nerve.

"Anya, there's something I need to ask you"

She pulled away slightly to look up at him

"Ok" she said feeling slightly nervous

"We've know each other for a long time Anya. I haven't always been the best man I could be for you and I haven't always been clear about my feelings, which I am sorry for. But the bottom line is, I love you. I always have and I should've told you that when I first realised it. Are you happy with me?

"Marcus, of course I am. I love you and I always will" She replied "Is that what you wanted to ask me?

"There was something else" he said. He'd never been a man for tradition but he wanted to do this right. He then did something Anya wasn't expecting. He knelt down on one knee and began to speak.

"Anya, I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else" Anya was too speechless to say anything. Marcus reached into his pocket for his mothers ring that he'd found 18 months ago.

"Anya, will you marry me" he asked, terrified that she was going to say no

She was so overwhelmed with emotion that her eyes welled up with tears. She didn't even have to think about her answer.

"Yes" she said through happy tears "Of course I will"

He was filled with relief as he heard her answer, filling him with a happiness he hadn't felt for, well ever. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. Luckily it fit perfectly.

He stood up and saw the tears in her eyes.

"You ok" he asked

"I'm fine, just never been this happy before"

He gently wiped the tears from her cheek and pulled her into a gentle embrace

"I never thought I could be this happy" He said, as he gently stroked her hair

She pulled away slightly to look up at her future husband. He leaned down to kiss her like he had so many times before, but this time it seemed different to her. Like a promise that he'd never leave her and always be there for her. After there kiss, they walked hand in hand back to there apartment to really celebrate their engagement. They spent the rest of the night laying in each others arms, looking forward to what the future may bring, knowing they'd be ok as long as they had each other.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was setting on Azura. After a long day of hard work, Baird liked nothing more than to have a few moments alone with his thoughts. It wasn't the work that made the day so hard. After years of fighting, he loved the fact that he had more time these days to get really stuck into building and repairing stuff. It was just the constant requests from people all the time. Baird can you fix this, Baird can you do this, all day long. He didn't really like people at the best of times so he found it frustrating. Problem was, he found it hard to say no to people. As much as he denied it, he did enjoy helping people out, even if they didn't always appreciate it half the time. He did savour these rare moments alone. He let out a long sigh as he looked out across the ocean. He almost wished that he could spend the whole night alone. Almost. But then he wouldn't be able to see her. Samantha Byrne. Just the thought of her name brought a smile to his lips. They had been seeing each other for a few months now. As far as Baird was concerned, Sam saw it as just a casual thing, not too serious. But Baird's feelings for her were starting to run a lot deeper, as much as he was trying to deny it. He'd never felt this way about anyone before, and it scared him a bit. He felt that he wasn't good enough for her. She could do a lot better than him and he knew it, and sooner or later she would realise it. That's one of the reasons he didn't want to reveal his true feelings for her.

"_What would she think if I did tell her how I really felt. Probably laugh in my face" _he thought to himself. He was due to meet Sam soon, but a few more moments alone wouldn't harm.

Sam was wondering down to the beach. She knew she'd find him down there. It was one of the few places he could clear his head and relax. She was still surprised that he's opened up to her enough to share that with her. She hadn't seen him all day and as much as she hated to admit it, she actually missed him. He'd been on her mind all day and the thought of seeing him gave her butterflies in her stomach.

"_What's wrong with me" _she thought. _"This is just a casual thing nothing serious. Why am I feeling like this" _It wasn't the first time Sam had stronger feelings for Baird. But just like the last time, she tried to ignore it again which was getting harder to do.

**Three weeks ago**

Sam laid there struggling to get to sleep. She'd spent the night with Baird again, but tonight felt different. It was more than just sex, it was more like _"no don't even think about the L word" _she tried to stop that thought. Something about tonight did feel special though. They'd taken a late night walk along the beach and talked and talked. She felt as if he'd really opened up to her, and she'd really opened up to him as well. She told him about how she felt when she found out the truth about her fathers death. She opened up about how it was hard growing up without a father. She even spoke about her feelings for Dom. Baird told her how he was never really close with his parents and how they were never really there for him. He also spoke about how lucky he was to have a friend like Cole, and how much he missed Dom.

After they went back to his room, she felt closer to him than she ever had to anyone before. It just felt more intimate and she couldn't get out of her mind how he looked at her so intently, like he was looking into her soul. Afterwards they talked for well over an hour, opening up to one another even more. Sleep came a lot easier for him than it did for her though. She watched him sleep peacefully beside her, and she smiled. He looked so peaceful. Moving closer to him, she gently brushed his cheek causing him to stir slightly in his sleep

"_Oh Damon, what the hell have you done to me" _

She turned around to try and sleep again. She felt him move beside her, then felt his arm wrap around her from behind. Sam closed her eyes. With his arm around her she soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**The present**

Sam had nearly reached the beach. The sun had just set and the ocean looked beautiful. It wasn't long before she spotted him. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. _"Dammit" _she thought, not wanting to feel this way. She made her way down to where he was, he smiled when he saw her, something that she only really saw when they were alone together.

"Thought you'd be here" she said

"Yeah, I was enjoying it until you showed up" he replied sarcasticly.

"Yeah right" She said as she moved close to him putting her arms around his neck. He placed his hands around her waist, gently pulling her in to greet her with a kiss. When they pulled apart, she wanted nothing more than to hold him close and tell her how much she missed him today _"I can't do that. Probably scare him away" _she thought.

"So, have you eaten yet tonight" he asked

"Not yet. I'm starving though. What do you fancy"

"I don't know, food maybe"

"Does your sarcasm have an off switch?" she asked.

"No ones found it yet" he replied.

"C'mon. I can smell that new burger bar on the beach. Cole says there delicious.

"Mmm I dunno. Don't you wonder where that meat comes from?" he questioned

"I don't really care when I'm this hungry. It beats what we used to eat when we were at war all those years"

"True"

As they got closer Baird's stomach started rumbling. He hadn't really eaten properly today as he was so busy. Well the real reason he hadn't eaten properly was because he was nervous about seeing her. He could certainly eat now though. Seeing her had calmed his nerves and he was already starting to feel more relaxed. They both had a burger and Baird enjoyed it so much, he didn't even care where the meat came from. Sam was right, this is better than the crap they ate when they were at war. After they ate, they sat on the beach. It was a warm evening and the sky was clear. Sam laid down on the sand. Baird looked at her curiously.

"What you doing" he asked.

"When was the last time you just laid down and looked at the stars"

"So long ago I can't even remember"

Baird joined her, laying down on the sand with his hands behind his head. If someone had told him 5 years ago, that he'd be here now, staring at the stars with the woman of his dreams, he would have laughed in there face. _"Do I really think that. That Sam is the woman of my dreams?_"

"Never thought I'd be here you know" Sam said, shaking Baird out of his thoughts.

"Where?" He asked.

"I mean, did you ever think we'd win the war and be able lie on the beach like this, without the fear of being attacked by the locust?"

Baird contemplated his answer looking out at the ocean.

"No. I didn't. To be honest, I don't think I cared if it was ever over" he admitted.

"What do you mean" Sam asked, surprised by his answer.

"After fighting for so many years, I started to believe that's all was was put on this planet to do. I thought I'd be fighting until the day I died. I had no idea what to do if the war ended. I felt that if it did, I'd have no purpose in life"

Sam was surprised and also a bit saddened by his answer.

"You don't feel like that now do you? Like you have no purpose"

"_Of course not because you give me a reason to get up everyday" _he thought the words he was too afraid to say to her.

"Not so much any more. Now it's over, it doesn't seem so bad. I mean I get to repair stuff more often which beats fighting any day. And not only that, the foods better these days as well"  
"Well, I'm glad" Sam replied, just wishing that he might just say that life was better with her.

"_I just wanna know where I stand, is that too much to ask" _She thought as she looked over at him staring up at the sky.

They laid there in silence for a while, so many things they wanted to say to one another, just finding it hard to say the words.

"How did this happen" Sam finally said.

"What do you mean?"

"Us I mean. I remember when you couldn't stand me. What changed. Apart from all the alcohol consumption that night"

"I don't know Sam. I guess we had the time to get to know each other" he replied.

"Yeah. I guess I found out that you're not a complete ass hole"  
"And I found out that you're not a complete bitch"

"Aww well aren't you sweet" she said sarcastically.

"I try"

"_Dammit Baird just tell her how you feel. What's the worst that could happen" _Problem was, he didn't even know where to begin. He looked over at her. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. She soon noticed him staring at her.

"What" she asked.

"_Here goes nothing" _He knew he had to say what he was thinking, no matter what the outcome may be.

"I was just thinking how beautiful you look tonight"  
Those words took Sam completely by surprise. She didn't know how to react so she replayed as if he wasn't being serious.

"C'mon Baird, you don't have to say that, you've already managed to get me into bed" she said with a small uncomfortable chuckle.

"I mean it Sam. You do look really beautiful. You always do"  
Sam didn't know what to say. The words coming out of his mouth were making her heart melt.

"Um. . What's suddenly brought this on Damon" she said seriously.

He turned around to face her and she did the same.

"I just want you to know that this thing, with us. It's not just about sex to me. You mean a lot more to me than that" he said the words that Sam had been dying to hear.

"You really mean that?" she asked.

"Of course I do Sam. I was just afraid of telling you. I didn't think you felt the same way. I'm still afraid that you may not feel the same way. Just let me down gently ok" He said, expecting the worse.

"Oh Damon you are an idiot"  
"That's not gentle!" he complained.

"No, you're an idiot for thinking that I don't feel the same way" Sam moved closer to him resting her head on his chest, his arms instinctively wrapping around her.

"So . . you do feel the same" he asked.

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Of course I do. I was afraid that you didn't"

He gently stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry that I made you feel that way"

"Don't be. I've always been a bit insecure about relationships. It's not your fault" she said softly.

"Well, I should have been more clear about my feelings"  
"It's ok Damon. I just have issues trusting men that's all. Haven't had the best experiences with them"

"Anything you want to talk about?" he offered.

Sam was really opening up now.

"Yeah. One of my early relationships didn't end to well. I'd barely turned 17 when we met. He didn't exactly treat me very well"

"What did he do, cheat on you" Baird asked.

"Probably yeah. But that's not the worst part"

Baird could tell this was painful for her.

"It's ok Sam, you can tell me anything"  
"Well, he seemed like a nice normal guy at first. But then he started to become jealous if spoke to other guys and also became really controlling"  
Baird couldn't imagine any guy controlling Sam like that, she seemed so strong and independent. Maybe that relationship changed her.

"I'm so sorry that he treated you that way Sam" he said sympatheticly.

"Oh, it gets worse, much worse"  
Worse? Baird thought. He soon knew where this story was heading and it was already starting to make him angry.

Sam voice was a bit softer when she carried on with her story.

"He . . started to get violent. I was younger then and scared so I didn't leave right away.

Baird didn't even know this guy but he already wanted to track him down and kick his ass for hurting Sam, no matter how long ago it was,

"I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry" He said pulling her closer.

"It's ok. I just wish I'd left earlier than I did"  
"Why didn't you"

"He always made me believe that it was my fault. Or that I deserved it. He made me feel worthless. Like I couldn't do any better"

"How did it end?" he asked gently.

"I broke up with him in the end. After we broke up he would still hassle me an threaten me. That's when I had to get tough with him"

"What did you do" he asked, intrigued.

"I punched him in the face" she said.

"Now, that sounds like the Sam I know"

Sam chuckled slightly.

"I guess I toughened up after that. I swore that I'd never let anyone treat me that way again., and I never have. Maybe that's because I never really let any relationships long enough for me to get hurt"

Looking into her eyes he said

"I would never do anything to hurt you Sam. You do know that right?"

"Of course I do. I trust you with all my heart"

She rested her head on his chest again, feeling closer to him for sharing her story with him. It wasn't something she would just tell anyone. She laid there for a while, happy and content in his arms. Baird broke the silence by finally getting the courage to say the words that she longed to here.

"I love you Sam"  
She looked up at him and simply replied

"I love you to Damon"  
He gently kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. They both felt happier than they'd ever been. They continued to lie there underneath the stars, looking forward to what the future may bring.

* * *

**Thought I'd continue this with a Chapter about Sam and Baird. I thought I'd come up with an idea of Sam having a bad relationship in the past. Thought it may give a reason for her to be a bit afraid of relationships. I dunno it just seemed to fit in my head that's all. May have rushed this a bi but I really wanted to write something so there ya go.**


End file.
